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Monday, May 1, 2017

Promo Problems: How Bad Can This Book Signing Be? by Rolynn Anderson

Happy
May 1!The concept: Gathering around a
pole in May to celebrate Spring.http://www.historicalharmonies.org/mapypoledanceorigins.htm
Beautifully dressed people, a beribboned post, happy folks dancing around the
pole to the right, entwining their ribbons, then dancing to the left,
untangling themselves.Sounds sweet and
simple, doesn’t it?Ha!As “sweet and simple” as choreographing a
book signing, I’d say.

But
today, I want to tell you a story about the book signing I recently held at a
golf pro shop for BAD LIES http://a.co/0DuYNPn,
giving you an example of how we can never predict promo problems.

It’s
an hour before the book signing and I’m hauling my stuff into the pro shop to
set up my table.I am over-prepared and
early…my usual self.My arms are full of
stuff as I stumble into the room.I see
James, who’s working behind the counter, and I can tell from the look in his eyes,
he’s startled to see me, even after all my e-mail reminding, press releases,
posters, and newspaper articles.I give
a heavy sigh mentally (we shoulder on, after all), and as I put my things on
the floor (no table in sight), I notice that a pall has come over the room. The Masters Tournament is playing on two TV’s,
with the sound turned off.I glance at
the TV to see a pro hitting a great tee shot. Why is it so quiet in a room with twenty men eating and drinking and watching
the Masters?

The
first thing I think is: These guys have no time for an author of romantic
suspense.They want to drink beer, eat
hamburgers and watch the damn Masters.Get this writer out of my pro shop.

I
look around the room again.All the men
are ignoring me, and since James has been surprised by my appearance, his day
has gotten complicated.Again, I
suppress a sigh, thinking I may have picked the wrong venue for my golf
novel.How can I build interest with a
group of men who are shunning me?

James
goes off to find a table for me while I watch the men.Now I see fellows gesturing to each
other.Smiling.Not laughing.Pointing to the TV.Giving high
fives.Gutteral sounds of happiness or
anguish.The bartender gives me a look
but doesn’t say a thing.

And
then I see fingers flying with sign language and men standing up to get the
attention of other guys across the room by waving their hands.

Yes.You have it now, don’t you?The mystery solved.Every single man in the room was deaf except
for James.For the next hour the only
males entering the room were speechless.I set up my table quietly among golfers who had recently finished 18
rounds of a Tournament for the Deaf.A
yearly event at Cypress Ridge Golf Course.Who knew?

The
experience teaches me a thing or two about promo.Never think the worst about an audience that
does not respond to your glorious novels.They might be deaf to your pitch (or not readers, or not readers of
fiction, or not readers of your genre, or audio only, or Kindle only…).

We mush on
no matter what the ‘condition’ of the environment.The goal: put our novels in the hands of
readers.(Postscript: The booksale was a
great success.I sold 24 books, made
some new friends, and made history by holding a book signing in a pro shop!)

Italy’s haunted caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO
geologist

****

Sophie
Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother of a precocious
thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a penchant for
gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf tournament.

Jack
Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a geologist. As a
favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours, he’ll find caves
on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts for terrorist
activity.

Someone is
determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin Sophie’s chances to win her
tournament.

On a Rome golf
course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all the odds are stacked
against Sophie and Jack. In their gamble of a lifetime, who wins?

It certainly turned out well! I think I'm about done with book signings. I have two more on the calendar and they may be my last. The ups and downs make me weary. I could be home writing instead of pitching to people who could care less. Maybe I just need a break.

Diane, my realization came rather quickly, but it's surprising how fast we think the worst of a situation. A couple of the deaf men looked at my book, but none bought any. People who came and bought my books know me...only a couple strangers showed up to buy (they read the newspaper announcement). Book signings are always a challenge.

Brenda, these events aren't easy. I publicized to the gnat's eyebrow, and still got only two strangers to come and buy. I keep remembering how many times it takes to get people to recognize our names and then buy...8 or 10, isn't it? Tough stats! I wonder if we would have started writing if we knew what we know now?

Wow, that was great success! Sometimes I think the more nontraditional venues are better. I've been at "author fairs" where nobody buys anything because there are too many to choose from. I'll bet some of those guys thought your books would make great gifts for wives/girlfriends...or maybe just for themselves!

My only really successful book signing was my first. It was at an art center in town, and I told all my local friends. They showed up and bought. I sold about 40 books. But, only a couple of people were strangers. Other signings (both with groups and on my own) where I didn't coerce everyone I know out for the event resulted in a handful of sales only. It is frustrating. Hey, at least your signing didn't disturb the gentlemen watching the Masters!

Leah, I agree about the value of nontraditional sites...my friend Cindy Sample is the queen of book-signings. We have a lot to learn from her...but she really works at it! Pulling in REAL readers is tricky!

Jannine, that first book out was a magical time...for all of us. I'm always surprised how few readers are among my friends/relatives. They 'come out' to support us for the first time, but one wonders how many really read our books. This is one tough business...what would we do without Amazon?

Rolynn, this reminds me of when my daughter and I were in Toronto. She went on her phone to find a nearby restaurant to where we were around noon and found one called something like, "Good Signs.' You've probably guessed it. It was a restaurant completely staffed by deaf servers, therefore most of the guests were also deaf. We had to learn to order in sign and had some good laughs nonetheless with our server--and the food was excellent. It was also pleasant, I must say, not to have to shout at each other over terrible music and noisy patrons.

Oh, this is a great story! I must say, once I realized all the men were deaf, I enjoyed the quietude of my hour of setting up. Thing is, I had no way to tell them who I was. With food, you could show your joy at the flavors...but a pitch about a book? Not so easy. Yup...always interesting to be the minority in the room/place!

What an interesting post. If you don't put that hilarious scene in a book, by golly I will. No. It's yours. I chuckled over every word as I sipped my noon coffee. I've only ever done one book signing with a group of writers and sold ZERO books. I should have known better. It was held in a library. I weight the time of getting ready, travel, set up, hawking my books, packing up to the word count I could get down in that time. I'm thrilled yours was a success.

I love a happy ending, Rolynn! Congrats on 24 sales! Hooray! I've read of bestselling novelists (Amy Tan, for instance) who've had book signings when no one showed. I'm sure it can happen, but glad yours was a big success!

Great story as others have said. Congrats on the eventual success. When you do write this scene, I say go for the POV of James. Poor beleaguered James. Uh-huh. I've done book signings too. They can be fun, they can be painful. Glad yours was of the first variety.

Vonnie, my dear, rest assured I'll get that scene in where I can. If I can't use it in the next 10 years, it's yours, baby! It's funny...I'd planned for every scenario except what to do if deaf people show up. I swear, for a prepared person...this was my Donnybrook. I thought I was ready for everything...Ha!

Margo, thanks for the suggestion of the James POV. He is always surprised by me, it seems. I keep wondering what he thinks of me...a 40 plus guy with two kids confronted by me. Maybe I am overwhelming!